IKEA Installs 3 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at San Diego Store

IKEA has been taking major steps to become a green big box retailer, and now they’ve brought their mission to the streets by plugging in three Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at their San Diego, California store. The development is the result of IKEA’s partnership with ECOtality, (a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies) and it marks the third EV-centered project for IKEA in the United States. The initiative also arrives on the heels of the San Diego store’s installation of a solar energy system atop its roof, which completed this past summer.

The new San Diego charging spots utilize a card system – customers can pull into a designated parking spot, swipe a Blink InCard (RFID card), plug the charger into their EV, and then go shop in the IKEA store while their vehicle is charging.

ECOtality is currently overseeing the installation of approximately 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. IKEA stores are in four of those states, and installations are planned at six other US stores.

The initiative comes as great news for those hoping for the wide-spread adoption of EVs. Large-scale companies such as IKEA without doubt have a large influence on such movements, and as Andy Hoskinson, San Diego Area Manager for ECOtality aptly relays, “In order for EV infrastructure to be a success, it is essential that private enterprises take an active role.” We couldn’t agree more.